Lena It's Cold Outside
by Charlie'sLostVampire
Summary: Elena is at the Salvatore boarding house with Damon the Christmas after Stefan left with Klaus; imagine he didn't come back. There is a snow storm raging outside, making her decide it would be best to go home. Damon tries to convince her to stay.


Elena was lying on the plush red and gold cushions of the couch in the boarding house parlor under a blanket, watching the roaring fire in the fireplace. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and they still hadn't found Stefan. As much as it pained her to even consider it, she was beginning to contemplate just… giving up. The first three months of the summer that he and Klaus left had been hard enough, but enduring four months after that with still no word; she was starting to think all hope was lost.

Hastily wiping tears from her cheeks she looked up when she heard footsteps entering the parlor. A few seconds later Damon was grinning at her. "Mind if I snuggle in?"

Elena frowned. "Seriously, Damon?"

"Oh, come on," he grinned even more, "it's cold out."

Elena rolled her eyes as she sat up. "You're a vampire; the cold doesn't bother you, so don't pretend it does."

Damon's grin slipped a bit at her snarky tone. She hadn't been this cold toward him in months. If anything, she had been on the border line of actually letting him snuggle under that blanket with her. So… why now? "Are you okay?" he asked her, concerned, as he sat on the couch beside her. He then noticed the tear tracks on her cheeks and knew what was wrong. "You were crying," he observed, wiping the stains away gently with his thumb. She pulled away and stood, putting her blanket down on the couch. "It doesn't matter," she said, grabbing her jacket off a nearby chair. "I need to get home; Jeremy and Ric will be worried."

Damon grabbed her hand as she started to go, worried himself. "Elena; it's freezing out there. It's been snowing for the past three hours."

She gently tugged her hand from his. "It doesn't matter. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve; I need to be home. It's the holidays, and Jenna is gone…" Elena fought back tears. "It's going to be hard on them."

Damon reached over and tucked her hair behind her ears, looking at the pain in her eyes. "Elena… that isn't all that's bothering you, is it?"

She looked down. "It doesn't matter…"

He gently tilted her chin up, hating the tears that spilled over and down her cheeks; he hated her tears for symbolizing her pain. "Elena," he said firmly yet gently, "tell me what's wrong."

She sniffled. "It's been seven months, Damon. Seven months and nothing. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and Stefan could be dead…"

Damon frowned. "He isn't dead, Elena." He refused to believe his brother was dead. He refused to stop searching until he found him. Elena pulled away from him and walked quickly over to the door, pulling on her boots. "I really need to go," she sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as she straightened up and pulled her red knit hat on her head. She had begun to reach for the door and gasped when Damon appeared in front of her. He took one of her hands and frowned. "You're already cold," he observed, feeling the icy tinge to her soft, translucent skin.

She shrugged, looking down. "I… guess I have bad circulation."

Damon grinned a bit and pulled her chilly hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss to it. "Nope," he breathed against the skin, chuckling, "You're circulation is just fine; I can practically taste the pulse."

Elena blushed and drew her hand back.

"Which means that you're just cold," he gave her a small smile. "Come on, Elena; just stay for one drink. I promise to take you home after."

She sighed, unable to resist the big, gorgeous blue puppy dog eyes he was giving her, mixed with his quirky little grin. "Fine," she said, kicking her boots off. "One drink. But that's it, Damon!"

He chuckled as she walked back into the parlor, leaving her hat and jacket on. He walked over to the liquor cart, pouring them both a glass of bourbon and handing one to her. Elena sighed and swirled the contents around in the glass, unsure of how much to drink. She frowned when Damon chuckled as he took his own sip. "Don't laugh at me," she said, "It isn't my fault I don't drink this stuff every day."

He shrugged, still grinning. "Fair enough." Walking over to the record player across the room, he casually put on some Christmas records, likely older than Elena herself was. She grinned and shook her head. "Who would have guessed that Damon Salvatore likes Christmas…"

He grinned, setting his glass down and taking hers, putting it beside his own and pulling her into a dance. "I usually don't," he said, "But you being here this year helped change my mind."

She smiled a bit, surprising herself when she didn't pull out of his dance. "I really have to go, Damon," she said as they waltzed slowly around the room. "People in town will talk if they hear Elena Gilbert spent the night alone at the boarding house with Damon Salvatore."

Damon grinned, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "Not if I compel them not to…"

She swatted his arm, pulling away and grinning. "You're terrible."

He grinned as he watched her take a sip of her bourbon, grimace a bit and then swallow. "I forgot how strong this stuff is…" she said, blinking a few times. Damon chuckled. "Nothing wrong with a good drink during the holidays," he said, walking over and taking her hat off for her, placing it on the couch. She frowned. "What are you doing? I told you I can't stay."

"Well, there's no need for you to burn up in those while you're still here," he said, grinning and pulling her jacket off her arms, tossing it on the couch too and winking. "Making you burn up is my job."

"Damon!" she cried, blushing scarlet, her eyes wide. He laughed when her cheeks went red. "See? I have you burning up right now…"

She frowned at the seductive look in his blue eyes. "If you don't stop, I'm leaving. I'm serious!"

Damon walked a bit closer to her, touching her pink cheek with his soft fingertips. "Are you?" he asked, his whispered breath tickling her ear when he bent down to whisper to her.

"Damon…" she complained, a bit breathlessly. He gave a throaty chuckle. "What's the matter, Elena? Are you…" he trailed his fingertips from the top of her spine to her waist, meriting a shiver, "burning up for me?"

She gasped when she felt his cool fingers slide under the back of her shirt a bit, swirling around on the soft skin of her back. She quickly pulled out of his arms with her entire face beat red, and grabbed her scarf, winding it around her neck. "I'm leaving," she said, her voice catching a bit. How could she let Damon have this effect on her…?

She felt Damon behind her once again, brushing her hair away from her neck. "But it's so cold out there, 'Lena…" he whispered, running his fingers down the sensitive skin of her throat. She couldn't help but notice how he was teasing her with everything other than his lips. Perhaps he knew she would storm out if he tried.

"Damon…" she said, quickly shifting away from his fingers, "Jeremy and Ric are waiting. I have to go…"

"They won't mind if you're a bit later than you said you'd be… it's the holidays, after all…" he said, smirking at her.

"No, Damon," she said, trying to be firm as she pulled her dainty black leather gloves over her hands.

He frowned, tilting his head to the side. "I don't want you driving home in that storm, though," he said and Elena turned to the window, a bit surprised to find a raging swirl of snowflakes descending from the sky and pounding onto the glass. "I… guess it wouldn't be the best idea," she agreed a bit half-heartedly, turning back to him. "Alaric will be suspicious," she said and Damon chuckled, his eyes drifting down to her lips. "Suspicious of what exactly, 'Lena?"

"Jeremy will be pacing the floor," she said, grinning a bit now. Damon grinned, knowing he had nearly won. "Let him pace, then…" he said, taking a few steps closer.

"Maybe just a few minutes…" she said as he stood right in front of her. Damon grinned, softly stroking her cheek with his fingertips. "Delicious," he purred and she giggled. He moved his index finger to gently touch her lips, and her eyelids fluttered shut. "One kiss…" she whispered, "But only because it's Christmas…"

Damon grinned and bent his head, capturing her lips in his. She let him kiss her for a minute, and then teasingly pulled away. "I really need to go home," she said, her eyes glittering.

He chuckled, spinning her around so that her back was pressed against his chest. "You'll freeze to the bone out there…" he muttered into her hair, placing soft kisses down her neck.

She giggled and pulled away, dashing across the room and grabbing his leather jacket off the coat rack. "Lend me your jacket," she said, grinning as she slipped it on.

Damon smirked, admiring her figure decked out in a thick white scarf, leather gloves and his prized jacket. "Even my jacket won't keep you warm in that storm…" he purred when he blurred up to her, leaning close to her ear.

"But don't you see?" she said, giggling as he playfully nibbled on her earlobe. "Alaric and Jeremy would be disappointed in me. I need to go home…"

"How can you do this to me?" he said huskily in her ear as he kissed the tender skin beneath.

"Everyone we know will talk tomorrow if I stay…" she whispered, thinking of the disapproving looks she would receive from Bonnie and Caroline.

"Let them talk…" Damon muttered as he pulled her closer to him.

"Everyone will assume I'm a tramp…" she said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Damon grinned and shook his head. "Never," he purred into her ear again. "Besides; it's my job to keep you alive. If you freeze to death out there, I'll have to end my pitiful existence…"

She glanced out the window again and grinned. "It is kinda chilly out there," she said observantly, turning her eyes to look at him. "Mm…" Damon muttered, nodding in agreement as he pulled her gloves off. "Stay here; I'll keep you warm…"

Elena sighed, allowing him to remove his jacket from her shoulders. "Alright… just one night."

He smirked. "Excellent."

One night was all he would need.

_Baby it's cold outside…_


End file.
